A Design Model for Effective Security for a Virtual Archeological Data Repository

Virtual repositories allow researchers across a broad spectrum of disciplines to amalgamate their data for synergy. The system described relies heavily on both unique data storage models and 2D/3D visualization.  Research into the security needs for a virtual archeological data repository (VADR) was conducted in the Fall 2011 using qualitative approaches for expert opinion elicitation from a variety of stakeholders, including archeologists, policy makers, human rights activists, and museum curators.  The research revealed a rich tapestry of security concerns, which must inform the design of a VADR.  These concerns include integrity issues, confidentiality issues, and availability issues. Security for information in all instantiations is both complex and intricate. Operational situations provide tensions among essential security services–confidentiality, integrity, and availability.  In a virtual archeological data repository (VADR) integrity and availability are essential.   Of these, the integrity issues were most often elicited as significant concerns from the interviewed experts.  Integrity issues include both the integrity of the virtualized data itself and the integrity of the contextual issues associated with the data object, such as derivative usage context.  The confidentiality issues elicited included need for original site location secrecy (such as to prevent looters) as well as secrecy of information related to humans who may still be alive.  The availability issues, while important, were far out-weighed by the importance of the integrity and confidentiality needs.  This presentation will provide a complete description of the security needs and how they apply in different VADR contexts.  We analyze presentation and security needs for VADR using operational descriptors to explore their implications.